Holding device for necklaces



Feb. 4, 1930. A. B. RIDABOCK 0 HOLDING DEVICE FOR NECKLACES Filed Feb. 9, 192':

ATTORNEY c Patented F b-. 1, 1930 j :ALIcnBUDD RrnnBocK, or STAMFORD; conivnoricu'r nonnme nsvrcn OR -1\TEGKLACES Appfication filed. away 19, 1927. SeriaI'No. 166,888.;

r This invention relates to holding devices for necklaces.

Oneof the objects thereof is to provide in simple and practical device for holding the loops of a necklace in predeterminedrelation. Another. object is to provide a device of the above nature which' shall be positive in action and convenient in use. Another objectis to provide a device ofthe abovenature ofan attractive appearance and so formed asto pre clude' the chance of injury to the necklace; I Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. c

The invention accordinglyconsists the features of construction, combinations ofelements and arrangements of parts which-will V i s be illustratively herein set'forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims."

'7 T 0 Referring now tothe accompanying-draw;

- ings in which is shown-one of various possi- V bleembodiments of this invention,

vFigure 1 is a diagrammatlc vlew ofthe loops of a necklaceindicating the preferred point of application of the device; I a Figure 2 is arear viewofthe several strands ofthe necklace showing 'the device in position; a

Figure 3 is a side emcee 5f the device 1 inoperative position with the related parts and, "showing in, dotted "lines itsreleased. or opened position; and

I ;Figure 4 sa sectional view upon a much enlarged scale takenat the central portion of the line 4+4 in Fig. 2. 1 V 1 Similar reference characters refer to simi-t lar partsthroughout, the several views of the drawings.

As conducive to a more ready understand '40i ing of the featuresof this invention, itmay be noted that in the use of necklaces, when they are'looped a number of times about the neck.

of the wearer there is a tendency of the larger loop or loops, due to their greater we1ght, to

4'5 become-still larger, thus tightening the smaller loop or loops about the neckwith a conse quent discomfort to the wearer and detraction from the attractiveness of the appearance of thenecklace. ;A1so, although of less import-' '50 ance, witha loopedfnecklace', particularly when formed of pearls or the like, the indi= vidualloops at'the back ofthe neck gather together and rub one against the other with a chance ofinjury to the pearls or beads.-

The avoidance of these defects in a practi cal and convenient manner without chance of injury to the members of the necklace'is among the dominant aims of this inv'ention.f

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it 7 is to be understood that the necklace may be' 60,

looped a number of times about the neck, the arrangement being here shown as; comprising the loops ,1, 2 and 8. This arrangement gives at the back of the neck of the wearer: the'threesimilarly numbered strands superposed one over the other as shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. i Q fl 'Coacting' with these strands, and equally adapted for coaction with two strand'szonly,'-

is a device' l the construction ofwhich is 7 shown-more in detail in Figs. '3 and' l This device comprises the lower or inner member 5 and the upper or outer member 6 hinged oneto another as atr7. At the'opposite ends of'these members there-is provided-on part 6-aloop 8 7 H and onthe part 5'a projection 9 adaptedjto' L snap into the'loop and hold the parts in the closed position shown in the drawings.

The part 5,-as shown in cross-sectionin c Fig. 4, may be'of a hollow metal construction and'lconverges' preferably along the V curved lines 10 to a narrowedge-like form 11 r where it embraces the cord 12 of the necklace. v It may here be noted that certain features of this invention are applicable to a v necklace which is not of the beaded form, al-' though many of them relate particularly to a! string of'beads', using theterm bead" in, a broad sense to include pearls or elements of like nature. flattened'as indicated andof broad fo'rm' to adaptit to" rest against the neck of the-wearer and to tend'to support the entire device in a position extending" directlyjoutward therefrom.'

f Stretched about the part5, whereit enters between. the beads, and extending over its narrow portion, is preferably provided a coating ofchamois skin or the like, as indicated at 14,50 as to avoid'the chance of injury" to 0 v The portion 13 is preferably v the beads and to give a yielding surface which when clamped into position will tend by its reaction to hold the prong 9 within the loop 8. The free edges of this covering 14 are preferably seated and gripped within recesses 15 formed in the part 5, and it is also prefer ably cemented to the surface which it contacts;

Considering now the part 6, as shown in cross-section in Fig, 4, it is of a conformation generally similar to the part 5 except that its outermost portion 16 is of a curved and ornamental form and may be provided with any desired type of ornamentation." This member 6 is also covered at its inner portions with chamois, as indicated at 17 and the edges of the latter are gripped as indicated at 18.

Recurring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the

contiguous surfaces'of the members 5 and 6 1 strands of loops is facilitated by the spacing that when the necklace is in the form of beads,

are provided with oppositely disposed recesses 19 and 20 at spaced portions so as to embrace the string or thread 12 at the several points at which it encircles the neck. Be-

tween these recesses, however, the members 5 and 6 come substantially into contact one with the other in such manner as by compressing the chamois or other yielding covering to give to the device such reaction as will prevent it from accidental opening.

WVhen it is desired to remove the device, the parts are opened as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and when it is placed in position the proper spacing of the individual of recesses 19 and 20 above described and inclination of the former. i

The use of the device will readily be understood from the foregoing, and it may be noted it is quite unnecessaryto grip the central thread, for if each loopis given the desired length, then when this holding device is placed in position, the proper number of beads will be maintained in each loop and the individual loops can not vary substantially in length even though the thread 12 be slidable within the holding device.

' It will thus be seen that there has been proa, vided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved; that it does not detract from the appearance of'thenecklace and is well adapted to withstand the conditions of hard practical use without injury .to itself or the parts with which it is employed,

As various changes might be made in the construction herein set forth and as the intion hereinset forth and the drawings associated therewith are to be considered merely.

as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. a

I clalm as my invention 1. In a clasp for necklaces comprising a string of beads in which the adjacent beads and away from each other for insertion'and removal of the necklace, a catch for holding said members together and in operative position upon the necklace, and a covering of soft resilient material upon a surface of said members which comes-into engagement with the beads, the spring action of said covering against" the necklace tending to urge said members apart and thereby tending to'hold said catch closed.

2. In a clasp for necklaces comprising a string of beads in which the adjacent beads are held against substantial separating movement lengthwise of the string, a pair of members adapted to receive therebetween a plu rality of overlapping portions of'the necklace and adapted to engage the beads of the necklaceto hold said overlapping portions against movement lengthwise relative to one another,-said members being movable toward and away from each other for insertion and removal of the necklace, each of said members having a soft covering for engaging the beads, and a catch for holding said members together and in engagement with said beads,

said catch in order to be released requiring a movement of said members toward each other beyond normal operative position.

3. In a clasp for necklaces comprising a string of beads in which the'adjacent beads are held against substantial separating movement lengthwise of the string, a pair of members adapted to receive therebetween a plurality of overlapping portions of-the necklace and adapted to engage the beads of the necklace to hold said overlapping portions against slipping lengthwise relative to one another, said members being movable toward and away from each other for insertion and removal of the necklace, each of saidmembers having a covering of soft sheet material for engaging the beads, said covering being held in place by portions of the members being bent over to clampthe edge portions of the sheet material. V a

4. In a device of the class described, a necklace comprising an endless string of beads, said beads being in substantial abutment one with another and thereby holding each other against substantial longitudinal movement on the string and the necklace beingiarranged in a plurality of loops of different sizes, each of said loops being adapted to encircle the neck of the wearer, and a detachable device positioned upon said necklace at the portions thereof adapted to rest against theback of the neck, said device comprising a pair of mem-- 7 v ,bers between which the string of each of said plurality'of loops passes at the portions back of the neck and having parts entering into 1 engagement Withthel beads to prevent slip: i ping of said loops longitudinally relative to one another and to thereby maintain said loops of predetermined'size. I Intestimony wher'eof, I have signed my name to this specification this first day of 10 ,February, 1927; v ALICE BUDD RIDABOCK. 

